


Riverdale: Parentdale

by Stattic_Scribbles



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Multi, aka they're going to find family, edgar/evelyn is just hella fucked up so there you go, written halfway through season three tbh so like screw the farm plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23376802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stattic_Scribbles/pseuds/Stattic_Scribbles
Summary: Any and all Requests from my Tumblr involving the parents of Riverdale; requests always open on my tumblr which can be found here:https://stattic-writes.tumblr.com/post/184300196529/guidelines





	1. Colubridae

Archie’s almost as excited as Vegas to see his mother walking through the door. Despite his father being off on a construction job out of state, and his assurance that he could take care of himself; Archie’s grateful his mother is home.  
“It’s great to have you back mom, it’s pretty much just as you left it last time. Do you need help with your bags?” She nods and he returns to the car to move them.  
“I can put them upstairs if you need?” She shakes her head as she pulls her son into a hug.  
“Now, what’s been happening? You Veronica, Jughead Betty, I need to know all of it. And anything about your father, god knows he never talks about himself, heart of gold that man.”  
“Well I mean besides the Serpent’s staying over he hasn’t done much besides that.”  
“The what?”

“You have the same luggage as Toni, it’s nice.” He shrugs  
Mary Andrews stop in the middle of the hallway turning back to her son.  
“So he just had a bunch of them in his house? The Serpents? The gang?” Archie doesn’t look her in the eyes. He sits in front of the island as she makes dinner, slowly telling her the events that lead up to it, and the eventual turning of their home into a temporary snake den. Mary can’t fault Archie for refusing to tell her, but she bribes him with extra garlic bread and the promise of brownies and he folds.  
“Yeah, Dad just, he made them breakfast.” He states unsure if it will appease his mom.  
“Where are they now?” Archie looks up eyes wide, hands flashing in front of his face.  
“Oh they went back to Sunnyside, back to the tent’s it’s okay mom they won’t come around here any-“ He trails off as his mother’s jaw shuts with a click.  
“Mom?”

“And your dad, he took them in? And they went back to the, did you say tents?” She narrows her eyes as he nods.  
“Mom no!” He scrambles forward as she pulls the house phone over.  
“What are you doing?” He hisses trying to pull the phone from her grasp, she smacks at him, waving the spatula from the brownie batter at him. He scowls as she flicks it onto his shirt. He pulls back to wipe it off, distracted from the phone for the moment, it’s all she needs.  
“FP is sheriff right?” Archie nods helplessly as his mother dials a number. Immediately the venom in her voice is gone.

“Hi, FP, this is Mary, I just got in, Archie informed me that Fred hosted the Serpent’s here for a few days. Yes, I do think you should come over. Please.” Archie wisely stays out of his mother’s way as she puts more spaghetti on, simply sitting at the island finishing his plate. He’s plating seconds for himself when FP knocks on the door, Jughead and Jellybean following him in.  
“I don’t think they’ll help.” Archie cringes slightly as FP walks forward into the kitchen. Mary has set out plates for each of them, both Jughead and Jellybean vibrating at the food set out for them.  
“Come on FP, relax.”  
“No, you were using your lawyer voice.” He sits down across from Mary.  
“Archie was I?”  
“Yes.” Archie answers and stuffs a forkful into his mouth to avoid her glare.  
“Archie was telling me-“

“You don’t need to worry Mary, they’ve cleared out of here.” She arches an eyebrow and FP focuses on his plate as do the rest of them.  
“Why did they leave?”  
“We got Tent city set up.”  
“Is it still tents right now?” Jughead nods.  
“There’s a few trailers, we weren’t able to salvage much but it’s enough.” Jellybean interjects  
“How many?” FP says quiet for a minute.  
“Well about sixty families, so roughly give or take another few, pushing 200.”  
“No, how many were here?”  
“Oh mostly the kids, so that’s about twenty, maybe high thirties, but most of them didn’t sleep over and-“  
“When will they be back?” FP shakes his head.  
“No Mary you don’t need to worry about-“

“I’m going to worry.”  
“Mary.”  
“Forsythe.” She smiles tightly.  
“If, as the sheriff,” FP tenses in his seat. “You’re going to tell me that a group of children, my son’s age, are sleeping in tent’s when I can do something about that; and then have the audacity to tell me not to worry because you think I’m scared of them.” She glares, her smile looking predatory.  
“Please tell them they’re welcome to come back.” FP sighs nodding.  
“Of course.” He shakes his head smiling. Mary coughs. 

“Oh you mean right now.”  
“Why do you think I made so much extra dinner?” FP sweeps his hands to Jughead and Archie who beam. Mary shakes her head gesturing to the phone, and FP pulls his cell out.  
“Hey. Bring everyone to the Andrews. Now.” They wait in comfortable silence for fifteen minutes. Mary tries her best not to laugh when she can hear boots thundering up her porch steps. Archie skids towards the door managing to get to it and wrenching it open before anyone kicks it down. The Serpents pile in looking nervously around.  
“FP, what happened? You sounded stressed we thought-“ Toni speaks. They watch Mary Andrews step forward, gesturing to the couch in the living room, and the dining table they have.

“Find a seat, I’ll bring a plate to you.” Fangs sits down immediately, they can see the nerves lingering is his eyes but as the rest of the Serpents start to trickle in and relax. They know this house, its safe for the moment. Most of them know well enough to not turn down free food either. Sweet Pea lingers by the door avoiding looking at Mary. Jughead shoves him towards the couch, and he sits, on the arm next to Fangs. Toni curls in the armchair across from them balancing her plate on her knees, beaming when Mrs. Andrews hands her a soda. Mary watches Sweet Pea and offers him a plate, he nods pulling it over. The serpent’s eat in silence watching Mary move from the kitchen and back into the living room offering second’s and thirds as well as drinks. FP sits in one of the armchairs, silent until Mary walks in holding two plates of brownies that she places on the coffee table.

“Mary this is too much, calm down.” She turns and glares at him and the Serpent kids try not to openly laugh when FP wilts.  
“You’re all welcome to stay if you need, I know a couple of air mattresses and blankets piled on the ground aren’t much to offer besides the couches and chairs as well but-“  
“It’s enough. More than enough.” Toni and Fangs both nod. FP leaves them to sort out accommodations, repeatedly stating that they don’t need to feel obligated to stay with Mrs. Andrews.  
“Sweet Pea, what do you want to do? You have a trailer right?” He nods to Mary.  
“I think it might be better to give that to some of the girls, if you’re okay with me staying of course.” He nods and she gestures with her hand towards one of the guest rooms.

“You’ll be sharing with Fang’s if he decides to stay, most of them opted to return to tent city, could you let them know they’re more than welcome to come back over for breakfast if they want.”

Mary’s not trying to eavesdrop but Fangs and Sweet Pea aren’t exactly champions at whispering and she’s only getting a glass of water but pauses when she can hear someone sniffling.  
“-I mean its not like I miss her, hell Mrs. Andrews is ten of her but it just reminded me of what they have, compared to us.” Sweet Pea mumbles and Fangs nods.

“She reminds me of mom, before she got sick.” She can hear Fangs mumble something else. If Mary Andrews happens to stay up till two am drafting an anonymous lawsuit against the hospital for malpractice in Mrs. Fogarty’s treatment no one has to know.


	2. My Dearest, My Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn/Edgar, A look at what they want from The Farm

Evelyn writes; she keeps unsent letters and journals in the records rooms; with everyone’s files. Edgar says it’s her way of coping, the rest of The Farm just think they’re her records of everyone. She doesn’t think back to when she’d been told. She blocks out how she’d gone to Edgar sobbing, inconsolable with pain blurring her entire being. Edgar carefully took her in his arms and they spent days in bed. They didn’t have the Farm; they didn’t have their family to support them as they do now. Edgar talked to her softly, gently explaining how they can build a family, how they can create The Farm. How Evelyn will need to be the first to be harvested. He can’t take her pain of course, he reminds her; but she can help the cause. She agrees and when she wakes up it’s like nothing has changed; the memory of what happened buried under the stitches and bandages.

Edgar sits with her as she recovers, the stitches he gave her barely there, they dissolve within two weeks and she barely has anything more than a faint line on her side. She writes when he suggest it, a way to keep her feelings her own, but not let them fester inside her. He never asks her to read them, but when she wakes screaming and sobbing from nightmares she’ll read to him in her shaking voice until she calms enough to sleep.

In the places before Riverdale they do not dwell on those they had to leave. Evelyn does not write to them, she burns the records, she does what Edgar says. He promised her they’d have their family and as they move on from the last town they’ve taken from Evelyn can’t help but be relieved it’s one step closer. She does not have doubts she knows Edgar will succeed and they’ll have their family, have their farm and everything will go back to how it was. She wonders if they’ll move back to the first town they took from, she decides she’d prefer not to, she likes the idea of Riverdale, of it being their final home; where they started is where they end. She finds it poetic; Edgar agrees. Evelyn is far too excited to start their plan, Edgar reminds her they might still need to move, still need to leave.  
——————————————————————————–

In the sister’s of quiet mercy, past the Gargoyle King’s chamber, beyond the tunnel that leads out; there’s a room locked from everyone’s eyes. The only two who have seen in are Evelyn and Edgar. Edgar told Alice it was the room where they’d ascend. It was a way to stave off her curiosity, to hush the reporter’s urge that still bubbled under her skin. Evelyn had caught her trying to sneak down; Alice was understandably confused when all Evelyn did was start sobbing; broken wails and injured animal sounds drowning out any of the farms regular noises; even the pipe system was drowned out under her crushed voice. Edgar was there in moments, snarling into Alice’s ear and telling her how Polly would be punished for her sneaking around, grip on her arm almost breaking it. Alice doesn’t understand where the viciousness comes from, how it vanishes the instant he moves from her to Evelyn; it’s not love she reasons, but something darker. The way Evelyn folds into him mumbling nonsense and dates long past has Alice wondering what exactly that room is meant for. She mentions it to Charles when she sees him next; he promises he’ll look into it. 

Charles brings her half used information, snippets and pieces of the past members in the Farm, they all talk of similar doors, similar rooms, and how Evelyn always fell apart at the idea of others in the room The door was always locked, bolted and there was no window, no way to see what was inside. They’d spoken how no one entered and no one left. It was thought to be the records room; until the records room was mapped out. The room big enough to house two people, with bed on either side. Alice shot down that idea; Edgar and Evelyn already had their own room; they had no need for another one.  
—————————————————————–

Evelyn wakes to Edgar’s arms around her, she doesn’t move wondering if he’s awake as well.  
“Betty’s staying with us.”  
“That’s good.”  
“She’s smart, bound to figure out some part of what we’re doing.”  
“That’s bad.” Evelyn frowns her headache coming back as she remembers the nightmares she’d had; she can faintly remember Edgar sedating her but she’s not sure if it was last night or months ago.  
“I had to dear, you were going to start screaming, can’t worry anyone now can we.” Evelyn nods letting him kiss her forehead as he pets her hair.  
“We’re having another group today, would you like to join?”  
“Maybe; I know today is; tough for both of us.” He nods nudging her to lie back down so they face each other. She watches the way his eyes track her face, and as he brushes his thumb against the corner of her mouth she knows he’s not seeing her as she is now. She wonders which version of her he’ll see the most today.  
“We’ll be together; through all of it. Like always.” He speaks softly nodding to her, his hand running down her arm as he pulls her close. 

She’s not aware she falls asleep again, just as she’s not aware she’s awake once more. She’s aware she’s sitting in a chair. She knows Edgar helped her, she can smell his soap on her skin and the shampoo he uses in his hair on her own damp locks. She turns her head to see not only her journal, but a new book and a fresh vase of flowers. She reaches for the flowers wincing when the IV tape tugs against her skin. She grabs the book easily enough and starts to read. She glances at the almost full bag, she knows she’ll have hours left.

She’s barely a third through when Polly walks in. She’s reading, thankful she decided to leave her daily journaling to before bed.  
“Oh sorry.” Polly’s about to back out of the room when Evelyn watches Juniper fussing in her arms.  
“Tilt her chin up.” Is all she says before she flicks another page in her book; Polly’s surprised when Juniper quiets. Alice asks to talk to her, and Evelyn declines.   
“Evelyn.” Alice starts and watches how she turns her head, regarding Alice nervously. Alice isn’t sure why she’d been so anxious recently but it seems like every sound had her on the knife’s edge of panic. In the group session earlier some sort of beeping alarm went off and Edgar had to sedate Evelyn. She looked terrified even when she was sleeping. Betty has theories about Evelyn’s guilt, about her knowledge of the organ farming but Alice knows she can’t share it with her daughter, she just hopes she’ll be able to get her and Juniper out before anything else happens.  
————————————————————-

Evelyn knows she’s dreaming, she always knows when she’s dreaming after being sedated; everything is too dull or too vibrant. She can smell too much, everything is too crisp, too clear it makes her wan to close her eyes, to turn away; but she knows she can’t. She must look to understand. She watches her husband, her Edgar, always trying to do good, always trying to help people; why he’d become a trauma surgeon in the first place. She knew he was going to help thousands. She didn’t understand why she had to be one of the first. The car had swerved too far out, it had been dark and icy, it would have happened to anyone. She knows this is what the doctors tell everyone, that they never stood a chance in the tiny car against the truck, against the weather and the distance from the town, from the hospital. Edgar saves her, she knows he does, she can smell the soap and shampoo he uses, unchanging since they’d met in school. He knows it comforts her.

She lets the dream happen, she knows she can’t wake herself, she’s tried time and time again, she knows not when this will twist from dream to memory unsure if it already has. She follows the gurney; the ambulance no longer makes sound, she can’t hear the shouts, the screams from the doctors. She knows this is a memory with how everything seems to settle for a moment, the saturation dropping, the sound no longer fogged. Her vision no longer blurry. She sees her own face, blood covered and she can’t help but gag with her memory self and she tries to breathe, she looks up and it’s a dream once more, Edgar rushing over, his hands running up her arms promising her he’ll save her, the fact she can see him the giveaway it’s only a dream again. She knows she’s dreaming and she can feel herself crying already; she watches herself on the gurney, reaching to the other one, Edgar moves them both closer despite that they’re going to different operating rooms, despite that she knows Edgar can only save one. She wonders why he chose her. She can hear screaming from the other room, she knows she’s dreaming but she cant help the panic, the need stop the screaming, she shakes on the gurney, twisting and trying to shout, only managing to choke on her own blood as someone that’s not Edgar pricks her with a needle and a mask is placed over her mouth and nose.

She wakes shaking and gasping scrambling off the bed trying to pull herself free of wires and tubes and IV’s that are no longer there. She sobs, throwing herself from the bed and trying her best to stand and move towards the door. She’s sure she’s the source of the screams, the pained broken animal that bubbles from inside her chest. She can hear footsteps and collapses into the arms that open the door.  
“I’m sorry; I’m sorry, what about Elizabeth, you need to fix her, she knows; she knows, she knows! You left her; you left her!” She chokes on her own sorrow as Edgar’s arms hold her up. He kisses her forehead once more, not bringing her back to their room, but to the common room, he sits with her; both Cheryl and Polly appear instantly, worry on their faces. Fangs and Kevin bring her a blanket and she sits, confused and blinking in the sunlight filled room as they stay next to her. Cheryl smiles, running her hand up her arm in comfort. Polly braids her hair. Kevin and Fangs start talking about something they saw on TV, a distraction she thinks. Edgar sits next to her and she reaches out for him.  
“Elizabeth she-“  
“It’s alright Evelyn, it’s alright.” He rubs circles on her back as she starts to cry again, confusion on her face. She watches Betty back out of the room, she watches the look her and Alice share before Alice smiles at Evelyn trying to be comforting.  
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Everyone chorus’ Edgar’s voice, concern and confusion lacing their words.  
——————————————————————————-

Evelyn doesn’t need to ask, she waits until its far past anyone being awake, Edgar rouses her she’s still confused about how she ended up asleep on the common room couch, her hair braided and one of Fang’s hoodies around her shoulders, but she lets Edgar wake her and walk with her. She knows he doesn’t need to support her but he does it anyways; the closer they draw to the room the more pronounced the limp she has gets; he can tell she’s nervous. The door opens with a hiss, it’s been sealed to prevent decay; she’s not sure how it works, only that it does. Edgar steps in first, letting the lights flicker on before Evelyn steps through. The door hisses closed behind them, sealing them in with the rest of room’s content.

“It’s beautiful, Evelyn runs her hands along the bed frame, the side table where Edgar’s notes and drawings sit is where she touches next; where he keeps most of his medical supplies from his days as a surgeon is the last she touches, always in the same pattern. Evelyn’s fingers tangle in a blanket, letting the soft fabric run through her fingers. They catch, as they always do on the bloodstains that haven’t been washed out.  
“What troubles you about today love?”  
“We’re home; we’re back we- We shouldn’t have come into her room without her.” Evelyn trembles and Edgar’s arms wrap around her.  
“Dear, she’s here remember? In the hospital, we just have to bring her home, once everyone agrees to ascend, we can bring her back. One human soul has to be given back if we give up hundreds. It would only be fair, of course.” His fingers undo the braids in her hair.

“Can we visit her?” Her voice is small and Edgar nods, they don’t need to sneak out, but still they do, taking the tunnel the sister’s had closed up. Moving past the hospital security is easy enough, and as they both stand outside the room, Evelyn starts to cry. Edgar wipes his own tears along with hers. They nudge the door open, the room exactly the same as it was two years ago. Everything the same, just as if they stepped out for only a moment.  
“Hey Elizabeth, how’re you doing sweetheart?” Edgar offers into the darkness, only the beeping of the machines answers him. Evelyn’s grip on his arm tightens, he knows this is too much for her, but he nudges both of them closer. He needs to see her face.  
“Please.” She whimpers and he nods, sighing as they step back towards the door, a step and a half and they’re back in the hallway. Edgar carries her back to the Farm, back to their room.

“You did so well this time, you got all they way into her room. I’m so proud of you.”  
“Shouldn’t have to be.” She mumbles upset at herself; Edgar shakes his head kissing her softly.  
“Remember what the doctor’s said, you can’t blame yourself for what’s happened to her, just like I can’t blame myself for not being able to help her. I saved my wife. I saved the love of my life. You’re safe, you’re alive because of me.” Evelyn nods swallowing.  
“You should have saved our daughter.” Edgar tenses.  
“I will. I’m going to bring her back; I’m going to wake her up. I swear.” 

Evelyn wakes up alone, she’s told Edgar is performing pain removal on someone and she nods letting him have his peace, she’s seen his notes, his drawings and ideas, to create enough pain to draw his daughter’s soul back to the living; to give up the soul’s from the farm, to trade for hers. She’s fairly sure it won’t work, but she’s foolish enough to let Edgar’s hope and delusions infect her like the pain he inflicts on others. She wonder’s what is worse, living with her pain, or what he’d take away to free her from it.


	3. Tillage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edgar/Evelyn; Edgar will do anything to protect Evelyn

Edgar Evernever is two days past being seventeen when his then girlfriend becomes his ex and it takes him another four days to figure out why; the girl she’s started dating is pretty in the same way she is and Edgar assures her he’s happy for her; that they’re still friends. They stop being friends another seven months later when her parents call his parents in a rage and he’s told not to worry that his father will smooth everything out; Edgar’s told not to worry about anything besides the baby that they hand off to him along with a custody agreement he doesn’t know he’s signing. They move five days later; the police find the bodies two weeks after they’ve fled. Edgar doesn’t say anything when the court case is settled and his father is behind bars. His mother forces him to move out and he returns home; welcomed by his church once more. All in all Edgar decides there are worse fates than having to care for his daughter alone; despite the church’s assurance he’s never alone when they leave him to sleep on the cot in the back; when he hears his daughter cries for him; he knows he’ll have to keep her safe any way he can.

———————————————————————————  
“I wasn’t aware it was meant to feel like this.”  
“You’ve never been injured?” A smile plays on Edgar’s face as he carefully arranges the choice of bandaids on the table. Evelyn shrugs at him and nudges the shirt she’s ripped up. He can see the scrape on her side, as if she’d skidded on the pavement.  
“I know pain. I know the feeling of fear too, that sick sort of rolling your stomach gets. The taste that lingers too long in the back of your mouth. I-” His hand reaches out wrapping the bandage tighter against her side as he waits for her to continue. He sighs bumping his forehead against hers.  
“Well?” He prompts, nudging his foot into hers.  
“Being taken care of. It feels cold.”  
“This is not care, this is maintenence. What happened?”  
“I fell.”  
“Lying is a sin; you know-“  
“I fell I swear dad!” She nods feverently and he can see the glance she doesn’t know she’s making behind him.  
“Of course; silly me it looks like you were dragged; were you on your bike alone?” He turns ignoring the way she yelps as he digs his fingers over the bandage and hoists her up to walk with him. He makes a point of keeping eye contact with the man behind them; he doesn’t recognize him which means nobody will notice he’s missing for far too long. He avoids letting her see the other man leering at her from across the room. He debates taking care of him but decides against it, a member of the choir is just too good to lose until he makes the wrong move.

——————————————————————————  
He starts her off small, not on animals he decides, that would be too upsetting; instead she walks in on him cleaning; he’s aware she suspected before but how calm she his warms his heart.  
“Do you need help?”  
“No dear, not right now.” He wipes down the counter with a fresh bottle of bleach; before compiling everything to burn in the church’s annual trash clean up. She prods at the bag with her foot yelping when the soaked clothes and flesh suck her shoe inwards slightly.  
“You don’t seem afraid at all; yet you know what I’ve done.”  
“Jake said Mr. Eveanson used to bring him on sleepovers that they didn’t sleep at and he was also the one I lied to you about the bike about. He wasn’t really doing good. So it’s okay. You’re getting rid of the bad people.” Edgar nods pulling Evelyn into a side hug.  
“I don’t want anyone to hurt you ever again, it’s why I have to hurt them first, you understand.” She nods quietly watching. When he asks her to get the cooler, she doesn’t grimace as he puts the liver, kidneys and heart into it. When they have homemade sausage her only complaint is it’s not in fun shapes like the ones Jake’s parents buy from the frozen section. He asks if she would rather the shaped ones and the way her smile lights up shocks him slightly.  
“No, this is way better than whatever Jake gets.”  
———————————————————————————

She’s curious like all children are he thinks; she doesn’t find excuses simply following him; remaining so quiet he pushes her presence out of his mind usually until whoever he’s dealing with cries out for her to run. They always go quiet with fear when she steps closer, when she offers a small excited smile.  
“Kidney’s are boring, what about a liver this time. Since we don’t have the grinder for sausage.” Edgar nods in agreement, the man shaking as he pushes the needle into his vein.  
“Don’t worry it’ll be like falling asleep.”  
“I thought you wanted the bad ones to suffer.” Her voice concerned as the man slumps against the chair.  
“I do. He’ll wake in a few; help me tie him down? You’re the best at knots.” Evelyn doesn’t question him about what the man has done she trust’s his judgement; he’s not lying he reminds himself, it’s not a lie if she doesn’t ask for the truth.  
The man wakes and Evelyn is in awe when Edgar hands her the knife.  
“So remember what I said about the first cut.” She nods and hesitates.  
“What’s wrong dear?”  
“He’s gonna scream.”  
“Well he might. But that’s part of it; now, just like that; there we go.” He hums guiding her hand back towards the mans exposed side.  
“What about ribs?”  
“Not enough meat on those.” He nods and she drives the knife in farther Edgar can hear when she punctures one of his lungs; from the blood that bubbles on his mouth before he stills Edgar knows she stabbed through his heart.  
“Evelyn! No! You have to wear gloves!!” he smacks her hand that reaches forward towards the body.  
“Dad that’s not fair he’s dead, it’s not like he’s gonna get sick! And I’m gonna wash my hands after!”  
————————————————————————–

“Oh my darling, my sweet dear. Don’t fret; don’t cry.” Edgar’s hand wraps around her head pulling her into his chest as she sniffles. He’s always been relieved she got her overemotionalness from her mother instead of his stoicness; he knows his lack of emotions disturb people when he drops his façade.  
“What happened Evelyn?”  
“James and Nina were sayin’ bad things about you! They said you were a degenerate for not waiitng till you got married to have me! James’ Mama said-“  
“Evelyn; we’ve talked about this remember.”  
“People’s words are just words; I know! But it hurts!” She scowls tugging away from him.  
“I hate it! I hate them! I wish they’d just die!” She screams stomping her foot. Edgar sighs watching the way her eyes glint against the knife block.  
“Evelyn; don’t be messy. We’ve only just moved here. I’ll see if I can talk to James and Nina’s parents then; shall I?”  
“Can we have chicken tomorrow.” She mumbles, and he knows she’s not asking for the poultry in the freezer.  
“We can go get burgers if you want sweetheart; anything you want.” Evelyn nods Edgar knows he’s pushing it killing this early but he know if she tries to do it on her own she’ll mess up too much. This is the last time they don’t lie.  
Edgar doesn’t want to bring it up; he tries his best to burry the paper work hiding any trace of it. Evelyn finds it; like everything he tries to keep form her she pulls it effortlessly from him.  
“Marriage certificates? In different dates?” She tilts her head watching him and Edgar shrugs.  
“In case.”  
“In case what?”  
“Once you graduate; we’ll need a different cover story; I can’t have people getting suspicious about why a single dad travels with his daughter so much; why they never stay longer than a year.”  
“Eew.” She wrinkles her nose and Edgar sighs.  
“The world is cruel; you know this; we’ve both seen it with our own eye.”  
“Dad, it’s alright; it’ll take some getting used to but-“  
—————————————————————————–

When they move two years later Evelyn is no longer his daughter; now she’s his young wife; they’re newlyweds. He has to protect her from everyone; and being her father he knows he has to protect her from herself most.  
“I think this is kinda weird.”  
“We don’t have to do anything other than we normally do, you just call me Honey, or Edgar instead of dad; that’s all.”  
“I know; I don’t see why you have to get a marriage certificate though.”  
“What if someone found out? They could put us under investigation; forbid that happened; imagine what else they would find.”  
———————————————————————————

They’d been out in the woods too many times before Edgar reasons. Its how the man follows them. Edgar’s not surprised, but he knows the man is surprised to see him. It’s easy to let the gun settle in in his hand to twist his wrist as the man runs forward; runs away from him. He’s confused when the gun goes off; unused in his arms. When the man falls he moves stepping on top of him, arms dropping the gun to wrap his daughter in his arms as her’s shake from the weight of the gun. He see’s what scared her; the stranger’s arm had been bleeding from the forest; it must have looked like Edgar had been attacked. He tries his best to quell his pride at her choice to avenge him.  
“Oh my dear child, you understand. It was necessary. We had to. Evelyn, relax. We had no other choice. It was for the best. For the best of everyone. It was safest for it to be this way. Don’t cry. Don’t cry sweetheart.” His hand snakes around her shoulders tugging her closer, she tenses body jerking as she tries to breathe again.

“Evelyn. It’s okay; don’t cry. Don’t cry. Come, let’s take a moment, then we’ll head back. It’ll be okay. It was for the best.” His hand swallows hers as he drapes his coat around her pulling her towards the waiting car. She stumbles, trying to turn back, but his hand on her jaw stops him.  
“Don’t. Don’t look back, nothing good comes from looking back.” Evelyn nods swallowing and staggering forward before she drops to her knees and vomits.  
“Oh Evelyn, here. Lets get you back, come on, just a few more steps to the car.” She nods stumbling up catching herself as she stands before wrenching her head back. She smacks her face into his hand.  
“Don’t look back.” He pulls her forward buckling her into the front seat. He hesitates before pulling a blanket out.  
“It’s alright, it was just bad timing; just a dog is all. I know it was scary and you didn’t want to kill him, but it was for the best.” He folds the blanket in half.  
“Would it help if I brought it back so we could bury it? Give it a proper send off?” Evelyn stares straight ahead.  
“Come on, what’s going on, talk to me. We have a long drive ahead.”  
“Everything hurts.”  
“They call that a killer’s ache. Happens to everyone after their first kill, you keep your body so tense, and all the adrenaline flowing ends up with some nasty muscle pain. But you’ll be alright, just a long soak in the tub and some tea will have you fixed up no problem.”  
“Uh-huh, I was just wondering Ed-“  
“Ah-ah, remember we don’t have to pretend here.”  
“Sorry, I was wondering Dad, why’d we come all the way out here to shoot the; the dog?”

“So the townspeople wouldn’t worry, I’m sure it was beloved by someone, couldn’t risk a child seeing it. You saw how quick it was to attack us. ” He moves from the back of the car wrapping the body in the blanket before hauling it into the trunk. He slides into the front seat smiling.  
“Yeah, uh, Dad, can we stop and get some food, I’m hungry.”  
“Oh course, anything specific you want?”  
“Can we stop at that diner we saw on the way in? I’d like a milkshake.”  
“Of course, but you’ll have to at least have some French fries with it.” He winks smiling.  
“Fries and ice cream is gross though!”  
“It’s a culinary masterpiece and you know it.” He jabs a finger at her and they both laugh. Evelyn quiets down as they pull in to the diner she grips his hand tightly.  
“Did it have a family?”  
“I’m sure it did. Probably had a name and a good home.”  
“What was it?” Evelyn follows him into the diner. He smiles at the waitress who gestures to a table.  
“Long time no see Edgar the usual? And what does this sweetheart want?”  
“Sorry Evelyn what did you say?”  
“His name, what was it?” Edgar waves the waitress off with their orders. He smiles at Evelyn.

‘Why on earth would you want to know that?”  
“Just curious, thought we could make him a gravestone, with his name on it.” Edgar rolls his eyes.  
“Well sweetheart, it’s not ours to bury remember?” She nods chewing her lip and sigh as she pulls the French fries over.  
“I just don’t see why you have’ta lie, if he was attackin’ us what’s it matter he got shot front or backways.”  
“Evelyn, we do not talk like that at the table.” He snaps and she glares.  
“You’re just upset cause you didn’t get the kidney’s like last time.”  
“Evelyn.” He snarls and she meets his gaze.  
“We’ve talked about this. I cannot let you come to harm; you saw how dangerous he was.” His voice is low and even and she sighs nodding.  
“Sorry dad, I just got carried away.” She stays quiet the rest of the night and when the papers run a story of the newest missing man a week later she’s not surprised when they pack and move on to the next town.  
——————————————————————————

It doesn’t come out all at once, normally people don’t catch on she’s his daughter, it’s not often they need to recruit in schools; most of the towns they settle in are big enough for Edgar to recruit himself, sending Evelyn to school as normally as he can; refusing to involve her in most of the Farms activities, of course they still spend the weekends together; just them free of the other Farm members; they have family dinners every night regardless of the Farm’s plans.  
It’s over one of these dinners that Evelyn asks him.  
“I’ve been thinking about asking some of my friends to join.”  
“The Farm?” Edgar clarifies and she nods shrugging slightly.  
“I think it might be good for people to see different ages in it; it’s mostly women who have the hot’s for you according to Vivian and her sister Ella.”  
“Who are they? You have to be careful with new members. You saw how difficult it was in the town before this; how close those people were. Small towns can be more dangerous than the bigger ones.”  
“Well it’s a good thing there are so many single mom’s that I’m friends with the kids; isn’t it. They’ll join easy enough.”  
“Evelyn; remember the rule.”  
“Dinner has to be discreet otherwise we’ll have to move. I like moving! I love traveling!! I’ve seen so many cool places here! And had soooo many different milkshakes!”  
“I know but if we move we can’t keep the ruse up; you’d have to go back to being my wife; you’ve been in school too close together; you know we can’t have anyone else catching on.”

“Dad; I swear no one will think anything about it; please; just one more time, then I’ll be your wife, or sister or whatever story you want.”  
“How about this; you pick the place; and then we can see what cover story we’ll need; okay?” Evelyn grins.  
“How about Riverdale; it’s small enough; but doesn’t seem like it’s too small that they’d notice us. It’s close to where we first started out.”  
“Okay, so what plan then?”  
“Maybe the double cross?”  
“Double cross; didn’t you do that last town?”  
“Well yes but it didn’t last long enough to pull the “haha I’m a twenty year old in high school; surprise he isn’t really my dad I’m his wife; double surprise I’m both!” she snorts and shakes her head Edgar nods chewing on his burger for a moment.  
“Riverdale it is; you know why we do this right?”  
“Survival by any means.” They echo over each other.


	4. Scaled Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope decides if Cheryl wants to be on her own, the least she can do is help her friends, of course Penelope’s never had constant friends, so she goes about it a little wrong

She finds out about the education trust Clifford crafted. A tight contract insisting a fifth of his profits be put into a hidden bank account for his children’s education, to be untouched, unspoiled by anyone who wasn’t a Blossom. Penelope knows how to read between those lines; not Jason. She wants to write over it, but she keeps her pen tucked into her purse as she lets Sierra read instead.

“Well this is as tight as they come Pens but, that’s not to say there’s not a way to undo some of the stricter wording. If you adopted any children, they would be considered Blossom’s by name, and we could, if you wanted, worm them into the conditions of the trust. They would have access to it, and nothing else from the Blossom dynasty.” Penelope nods thanking Sierra and insisting she can find some kids to donate the schooling trust to.

Penelope pretends not to know why she calls Fred Andrews, she knows in the back of her mind why.  
“Hey Penny.” His voice is soft, filled with the usual tiredness they all seem to carry now a days. She can feel her voice lose its business tone; she could never keep her friendship away from him.  
“Do you have Hal and FP’s numbers?” She swears she can hear Fred blinking in shock.  
“Yeah hold on you got a Pen, Pen?” He laughs at the joke just as he did the first five hundred times he made it. She thanks him as he rattles off their numbers. She doesn’t hang up right away, listening to Fred’s breathing for a moment.

“Pen, you, you want to meet at Pop’s?” Penelope swallows glancing around her empty house.  
“My treat.” She responds.

Of course he brings Hal and FP, both sitting nervously glancing at each other with Fred in the middle. It always was Fred, Penelope muses, he was what kept them together, kept everyone sane, everyone safe. She idly wonders when he’d gotten so thin, so sick looking, she steps towards the booth and swears she can see the hairs rise on FP’s neck.  
“Penelope Blossom, what on earth are you- Fred.” He sinks in his seat, understanding as Penelope slide across in the booth from them.  
“I have a proposition.” She smiles and Hal laughs already nodding in agreement. As she explains in hushed tones over the shakes and burgers they’ve been picking at. FP narrows his eyes.

“You’re telling me, you want to gift the Serpent kids, thousands of dollars each, for their education? For free? Cause your late husband was an asshole?”  
Penelope nods.  
“Pretty much.” Fred looks excitedly at FP, at the idea, FP returns his excitement wearily.  
“And Hal is here because you want to spite Alice yeah?” FP snorts when Hal laughs along with Fred.  
“Is it cause she slapped you?” Fred questions smirk on his lips. Penelope let him believe it as she ducks her head, nails digging into her thighs.

Alice had kissed her, in the locker room, during gym. When they pulled apart not only were most of the school watching but Alice screamed that Penelope had actually liked it and she’d asked to do more. It was a joke, the entire school had a good laugh about it, and Penelope lets them think she believes it a joke too. When she gets home and her mother had met her in the hall, and had shook her head, she knew her family did not find it to be a joke. She hadn’t made a sound when her father took out his belt, or when he instructed Clifford how to make sure she forgot about liking girls. 

“Penny, hey. We were going to get another shake, you want in?” Fred’s voice like always pulling her back to her friends.  
“Of course.” She nods smiling at them. Hal nods back to her, she knows he can tell it’s not reaching her eyes. She wonders if he’ll stay quiet like he always used to.  
“So back to the matter at hand.” FP waves his hand as the next round of shakes are set down.

“Yes the trust is legitimate, it can only be accessed by someone who’s a pure Blossom, which in this case would be Betty, and then anyone that I give a ‘pass’ to.”  
“And how do you give ‘a pass’ to anyone?” Penelope’s smile falters once more.  
“Adoption.” FP and Fred choke at the same time and Hal whacks them both so hard they crash into the booth and spill Penelope’s shake onto Hal’s second burger.  
Penelope looks disappointed before plucking the cherry from the melting shake that’s pooling over Hal’s fries.

“It’s temporary, fostering I think is the proper term?”  
“They have to be in the foster system to do that.”  
“Well legally of course.” FP turns at Tom Keller’s voice.  
“Really Pens, the Sherriff?” FP groans, and Fred laughs when Sierra walks up behind him.  
“And the cavalry, now if you all can clean up the mess.” She mumbles as the three boys start to stack the baskets and wipe the spilling shake. Tom busies himself ordering another round of burgers.

Sierra sits next to Penelope, spreading out the copies of the trust she has, Tom slides next to FP who huffs pulling his burger closer.  
“According to this-“ FP lets his attention wander, watching how Hal’s eyes dart around every aspect of Penelope, he can see his gaze linger on her hands, and he catches the lack of glinting. Penelope isn’t wearing her wedding ring; he spares a glance to Hal to find he’s doing the same. He tries to focus but as Sierra and Tom start speaking legalize, occasionally Fred will chime in, some sort of phrase borrowed from Mary, he lets himself focus on the second burger; not on Freddie Andrews voice, still FP can’t help the jump in his heart when Fred’s hand presses on his thigh.

“FP, you get all that?” He takes a bite of his burger as he shakes his head.  
“All you have to do is sign, we make you the Serpent kids legal guardian, and then we transfer that power to me for a few months and-“  
“Sweet Pea’s eighteen, he got held back a year and-“  
“That’s not a problem, it’s until age 19.”  
“Joaquin is in a corrections Center.” Penelope arches an eyebrow.  
“No son of mine is going to stay in jail, Tom, if you would.” FP rolls his eyes as Tom slides out pulling his phone from his pocket. It takes him fifteen minutes, and Sierra drinking half his shake before he returns.  
“Pen’s they aren’t really your kids, you know that right?” Hal speaks finally and Penelope nods.

“Cheryl looked at me this- well she looked through me. My own daughter rightfully hates me. If I can help someone, it makes me feel less like the monster she knows I am.”  
“Pen’s we’ve told you time over, you’re not a monster.” Hal’s hand curls over hers on the table.  
“He’ll be in Riverdale at seven pm tonight, who’s picking him up from the bus stop then?”

“I will.” FP and Penelope speak at the same time and Sierra doesn’t stop laughing for five minutes. Penelope catches Hal dumping sugar on her cheese fries when she asks him to pass the salt.


	5. Scaled Roses Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scaled Roses Pt 2

“Don’t say a word.” FP glares to Penelope as she sits on the bench waiting for the bus to pull up. She watches as it does, as a thin boy with dark hair down to his neck stumbles out, he has a black eye that’s half healed, he looks exhausted and FP sighs in relief.  
“Joaquin, you doing okay?”  
He doesn’t say anything, and FP sighs.

“She won’t hurt you, she’s offering you a place to stay, and some other things we’ll talk about at dinner.” Joaquin follows Penelope to her car, and as they pull up to Thornhill; Cheryl meets them at the door; frowning. FP drags his hands down his face as the rest of the Serpent’s appear from behind Cheryl, half in pajama’s that have obviously been borrowed, or still clad in their serpent jackets. FP can’t help the smile when Fangs and Sweet Pea struggle forward, both tripping over the sleep pants that cover their feet.  
“JOAQUIN!” They tackle him onto the ground and Penelope rolls her eyes.  
“Really boys? Give him some room to breath he’s only just gotten off the bus.” 

Sweet Pea and Fangs look uncertainly to Penelope before FP nods to them.  
“Everyone into the dining room. We’re having dinner.” Penelope smiles and lets FP coral the Serpents. Cheryl sits next to Toni, Joaquin settled in between Fangs and Sweet Pea.  
“Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering-“ FP pauses as the doorbell rings and Penelope vanishes to get it, returning with Betty, Archie, Fred and Hal.  
“Now that we’re all here.” He hesitates and Penelope nods to confirm.  
“Penelope has agreed to, adopt you all, so she’ll be paying for your schooling, there’s an education grant Clifford left for her to use on Cheryl, and Jason, but we’ve found a loop hole to allow for others to avail of the trust. She chose all of you.”

“Why.” Sweet Pea glares at Penelope eyes narrowing. Penelope swallows.  
“A misguided attempt to win back my daughter, plus I can’t do anything else with the money, it’s only for education.”  
“So you’re going to use us as a fodder in your family wars? Like the rest of the town? We’re not your pawns.”  
“ I don’t want you to be pawns. I want you to have a chance at going to college, to school if that’s what you want. I don’t want you to suffer based on misguided stereotypes I helped bring about. I want you all to be better and to have the chance to leave this town.”  
“You’re using us to atone for your guilty conscious?”  
“Well yes. The other option is to poison the water supply, I figured that was a tad dramatic.”

“Pen I thought we were past the whole “the town is full of monsters who need to be punished for hurting me’ sort of thing.” Fred sighs.  
“We’re not past it until they die, now, dinner?” She chirps cheerfully and ignores the look that everyone passes around the table along with the dishes of food.

Joaquin falls asleep on the couch and the rest of the Serpents sit around him waiting. Cheryl hovers and Nana rose sits in the corner glaring into the fire. Penelope lingers at the door.  
“Cheryl may I-“ She steps forward slightly and Cheryl looks confused.  
“This is your house mother.”  
“They’re your friends dear.” Cheryl steps from her hovering and her mother awkwardly pulls her into a hug.

“What’s wrong?”  
“I’m sorry for making that dinner so uncomfortable I just; I want what’s best for you, I shouldn’t let my need for revenge take over that.”  
“Your need for revenge?” Cheryl questions and watches her mother glare at Nana Rose before she shakes her head.  
“It’s nothing dear. Just an old high school grudge I can’t seem to let go.


	6. Repitition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason was adopted like Penelope

They haven’t even let Penelope out of the hospital before she’s reminded of her role. She hasn’t been able to hold her daughter in her arms. Clifford hadn’t so much as glanced at her when she’d been brought to the room he’d bought for her, just like the c-section he bought, and the presents, and the very expensive very effective pain meds. Penelope understands, she’s meant to be his, and like everything he owns she’s to be fixed and altered to his expectation’s she’s always known this. So when the nurse comes in wheeling two bassinets, she keeps quiet. When Clifford immediately pulls his son, his Jason from his crib 

Penelope knows she’ll be pouring all her love, all her effort into raising him.  
She wonders why he didn’t simply exchange the daughter he doesn’t seem to bother with. When they get home from the hospital, and he insists she doesn’t have to do anything until the pain meds wear off, when they’re alone does Clifford enlighten her as to why Cheryl isn’t with the sisters.

Penelope sends a silent prayer to whoever gave Hal Cooper such a lack of restraint, and whatever spite prompted Alice to release an article about the early timing of the “Blossom girl’s birth”. Even if it could blow up into a scandal she’s grateful that it allows her to keep her daughter; she should know Clifford has plans for the fallout. When she hears crying in the middle of the night and goes to hush her child, to offer comfort, she finds herself pulled away.  
“No Penelope, none of that now dear, come back to bed.” Clifford moves her as he does everything in the house. He is the sun and they revolve around him. She swallows her own cries; as Jason stirs and Clifford rushes to his side. 

Cheryl wails through the night, it’s only when Clifford can’t stand the noise does he allow Penelope to go to her. Penelope wants nothing more to be a mother to her two children. Clifford only wants his son, and Penelope, as his, must do as he orders. Nana Rose, has no such restraints, and while Penelope is regulated to her time everywhere except her greenhouse, Nana Rose is allowed to move, to do whatever she pleases. Penelope hates how she goes to her mother for scraps of information, desperate for everything involving her daughter.

Cheryl is five; she, like her mother is slowly becoming more trapped. Penelope makes sure to try to give her everything she wants, as much as she can sneak from Clifford she gives. Cheryl doesn’t understand why her mother cries when she tells her about kissing Heather, she doesn’t understand why her mother scream and sobs, hiding in her room.

“No Cheryl, you must never do that again. Ever.” They’ll send you to the Sisters. They’ll take you away from me. They’ll take me back. Penelope stays in her greenhouse for two days. Heather is allowed back over and her and Cheryl continue to play. The terror her mother showed is long forgotten. Penelope decides if she’s not around, she can’t be blamed for what they do. Plausible deniability. FP and Hal had cooe’d that at her when she caught them drinking at the back of the school. Still Penelope has nightmares. Rooms that never end, films, old black and white a crackling voice, needles and screaming over and over. Eating measured dinners, Jason and Cheryl silent as their father speaks of things to go over their heads. Water dripping onto her back, daily prayers, skipped meals, dragging sacks back and forth as the directions change. 

Sneaking out into the garden to play with Cheryl, only to have Clifford complain of the dirt she brings back; she knows he does not mean the soil on her shoes. Laying on her cot, straps keeping her immobile; the sisters pulling her away, away from her thoughts, back towards her true home, back towards the infirmary. She falls into them as easy as her place in the household. She wonders which is the nightmare. She knows her reality is worse, she cannot escape what she must live though. 

She spends more and more time in her greenhouse, cultivating her plants, her poisons that Clifford never bothers to learn. She teaches Jason and Cheryl when they wander in; they never stay long, the glasshouses too hot and humid for them to bear. Penelope doesn’t bring up that she finds Cheryl and Jason in the greenhouse early in the mornings, when it’s cool. How they help her water everything, feeding the flies she keeps to the pitcher plants and venus flytraps. She keeps the truly deadly plants higher up away from their still small selves. 

Jason asks her once, when he’s eleven; when Clifford begins grooming him as he was. Penelope listens as he stumbles through a flimsy excuse of school to ask about the poisons she keeps on the higher shelves.  
“If anyone were to use those, I would be blamed of course. But you’re welcome to bring one in for a visual aide if you need.” Jason doesn’t ask her about the plants again.

It’s two weeks before their twelfth birthday party, Cheryl comes into her greenhouse looking put off and Jason trails behind.  
“Mommy! We have to have one birthday party!!” Penelope nods waiting for more of an explantation, Jason shrugs. Cheryl fills her in.  
“Jason was saying that if we have one party we can combine all our gifts, which means everyone doesn’t have to bring as much stuff, and we can play more. So we’re going to have one birthday party! I’m going to tell daddy!” She exclaims before rushing off. Jason hangs back and watches Cheryl vanish.

“She doesn’t have friends.” His voice is quiet, Penelope nods.  
“She’s your sister. It’s very sweet of you to suggest that.”  
“She’s not. Not really.” He watches Penelope’s face soften.  
“Dad said she was adopted, from the Sister’s of Quiet Mercy, cause you wanted a girl.” Penelope swallows, will she really go so far as to protect her daughter.  
“He was lying, I saw the records in the big safe, I’m adopted. Aren’t I?” It brings her back, to the moment she’d told her mother she knew, Nana Rose hadn’t said anything simple arched and eyebrow disapprovingly and nodded.

“We needed a sister for Clifford, such a lonely boy.” Nana Rose had sneered, and Penelope finds herself crouching next to her son.  
“You understand why you can tell no one though right?” He looks upset for a moment before nodding.  
“People would be mean to me.”  
“Yes, and I’m not going to have anyone being mean to my son.” She says it automatically, a fact, a statement but Jason’s face lights up so quickly she’s confused at what she said to make him so happy.  
“I love you mom.” She lets him hug her, standing in place, feeling his arms gripping around her long after she’s gone, the first time he’d properly hugged her.

The birthday party comes and goes, as Penelope watches the children running around and splashing in the pool she understands why Jason wanted to combine them, they’re all his friends, save for Heather who sits next to Cheryl as they giggle and laugh at the boys. Clifford meets her halfway scolding her for letting Heather remain. Penelope hates when he uses her like this.

She lets Thornhill eat away at her, piece by piece she feels herself giving under the pressure, succumbing to the void Thornhill creates; Penelope knows how the word works, she knows about the safe tucked deep in the cellar of Thornhill, every inch of the empire is kept in that safe, every deed, every business deal, every single record of every crime, every illegal speck of dust that passed through the house. Penelope of course is none the wiser about her name in red on every single document. Clifford’s back-up insurance policy he never got to void before he passed. The documents that were meant for her to take the blame now create a water tight seal for her to keep Clifford’s legacy, for her to define as she pleases.


	7. Doorways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles met Betty/Polly at the door instead of Alice

Alice is out in the backyard with Betty when Polly hears the faint knock at the door. She frowns, the middle of the day, no one was expected and it doesn’t seem likely the mail would be so late. Still she opens the door.  
“Hello?”  
“Hi, does Alice Smith live here?” Polly frowns, nodding.  
“Her last name is Cooper though. She’s married.” Polly’s not sure why she feels the need to tell him, but still she does, stepping to the side of the door; holding her hand towards the rest of the house.  
“Come in.” He smiles shyly nodding his head.  
“My name is Charles.” Polly nods.  
“Let me get my mom.” She turns to the porch door where Betty runs through, Alice trailing after her.  
“Hi.” Betty stops in front of Charles who smiles.  
“Hello, my name is Charles, what’s yours?” He holds his hand out which Betty grabs.  
“My name is Betty. Are you one of Polly’s friends?” He’s about to respond when Alice interrupts.

“Polly, did you let a strange boy into our house?” Polly ducks her head.  
“He said he knew you.”  
“Polly you can’t just let anyone who says they know me into the-“  
“Alice Smith. He said he knew Alice Smith.” Polly pulls Betty up the stairs when Alice grips the counter slightly too tight.  
“My name is Charles, I live-“  
“I know.” She doesn’t snap, her voice soft.  
“ Are you hungry? Did you, how did you find me?” Charles laughs.  
“They cut me loose when I turned 18, gave me your address. Said it was up to date, here I am.” He nods to the house.  
“This place is nice, your family seem nice too.”  
“Your sisters.” Alice supplies and Charles jerks back.

“They, just like you, are my family in blood only. You didn’t raise me, didn’t care about me at all.”  
“Why did you think I gave you up? I was seventeen; do you really think I could have raised a child? On the Southside?” She spits and he snorts.  
“I’m guessing by your tone the Southside is bad, but I think not having a mother, being forced to grow up in that orphanage is a little worse than whatever the Southside is. Besides, by the looks of this house you didn’t stay in the Southside for long.” He snarls back at her. Alice laughs shaking her head.  
“What I did to get here is of no concern of yours.” He half laughs half sobs, Alice steps forward taken aback by the switch in his emotions.  
“Nothing you do is my concern, least of all why you didn’t want me right?” Her anger melts, she steps closer.  
“Charles, sweetheart, no. That’s; no that’s not true dear.” Her hand hesitates before she pulls him into a hug.

“Charles, stay here, please.” She can tell any fight, and idea to bring about conflict is gone. He nods into her shoulder, returning her hug and sighing.  
“I know this, isn’t normal but-“  
“I grew up in a church, this is the most normal I’ve had in years.” Charles laughs and Alice beams at him.  
“Polly! Betty! Come meet Charles. He’ll be staying for dinner.” Charles looks confused as Alice squeezes his hand.  
“Stay. If you want.” She smiles and he nods slowly.  
“How long?” He asks trailing after her as she sets up the living room for what he’s guessing is going to be a very long conversation.  
“Alice, how long?” He asks again and she turns her nose crinkling in the same way his does when he hears something annoying.  
“Please don’t call me Alice Charles, I’m your mother, hopefully not a stranger forever.”


End file.
